KARACHI: (HRNW) An anti-terrorism court in Karachi acquitted former SSP Rao Anwar from the murder case of Naqeebullah Mehsud along with all other accused.
Pertinently, Naqeebullah was gunned down on 13 January 2018 in Karachi during an alleged encounter involving then SSP Malir district Rao Anwar. The killing sparked nationwide protests and social media condemnation by civil society.
The court while pronouncing the reserved decision said that the prosecution has failed to prove its case against the accused.
The court reserved the decision on January 14 after recording statements of the witnesses and the accused, and the arguments from the defence and prosecution.
During the trial, nearly 51 witnesses were presented before the court who recorded their testimonies.
In March 2019, the court indicted Anwar along with his 17 subordinates for killing Mehsud on the outskirts of Karachi.
Rao Anwar and others denied the charges and alleged that he had been framed in the case due to a “departmental rivalry”.
The former SSP also alleged that Naqeeb had links with TTP but the banned organization denied the claim and maintained that the deceased has no links with them.
Mehsud was a shop owner and an aspiring model.